Basis of preparation

The financial statements are prepared on the historical cost basis except that derivative financial instruments, financial instruments held-for-trading and financial instruments classified as available-for-sale are stated at their fair value.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of policies and reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenses. Although estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances (the results of which form the basis of making the judgements about carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources), the actual outcome may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

Judgements made in the application of IFRS that have had an effect on the financial statements and estimates with a risk of adjustment in the next year are discussed in note 39 of the consolidated financial statements.

The accounting policies have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these financial statements. The financial statements are presented in South African rands, which is the Group’s functional currency. All financial information has been rounded to the nearest thousand unless stated otherwise.

2.

New and revised accounting standards

There were no changes to the Group’s accounting policies during the year. Details of new standards and interpretations that apply to the Group are contained in note 41 of the consolidated financial statements.

3.

Basis of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Company. Control exists when the Company has the power, directly or indirectly, to govern the financial and operating policies of an entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities. In assessing control, potential voting rights that presently are exercisable or convertible are taken into account. Operating results of businesses acquired or disposed of during the year are included from or to the effective date of acquisition or disposal, being the date that control commences until the date control ceases. The assets and liabilities of companies acquired are assessed and included in the statement of financial position at their estimated fair values to the Group at acquisition date.

Any increases and decreases in ownership interests in subsidiaries without a change in control are recognised as equity transactions in the Group financial statements. Accordingly, any premiums or discounts on subsequent purchases of equity instruments from, or sales of equity instruments to non-controlling shareholders are recognised directly in the equity of the Group.

Transaction costs that the Group incurs with respect to an acquisition of a business are expensed as incurred.

Inter-group transactions and balances are eliminated on consolidation. Unrealised gains arising from transactions with jointly controlled entities and equity accounted associates are eliminated to the extent of the Group’s interest in the entity. Unrealised losses are eliminated in the same way as unrealised gains, but only to the extent that there is no evidence of impairment.

The Company carries its investments in subsidiaries at cost less accumulated impairment losses.

4.

Revenue

Revenue comprises amounts invoiced to customers for goods and services and includes finance charges, insurance premiums, gross billings, and commissions related to clearing and forwarding transactions and excludes value added tax. Revenue is net of returns and allowances, trade discounts and volume rebates.

5.

Revenue recognition

The sale of goods is recognised when significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods are transferred to the buyer, recovery of the consideration is considered probable, the associated costs and possible return of goods can be estimated reliably, and there is no continuing management involvement with the goods.

Revenue from services rendered is recognised in the income statement in proportion to the stage of completion of the transaction at the statement of financial position date. The stage of completion is assessed by reference to the terms of the contracts.

Revenue relating to banking activities consists primarily of margins earned on the purchase and sale of foreign exchange products and general commissions and transaction fees and is recognised when the services are provided. Net profits and losses on the revaluation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities are also included in revenue.

In the event that a profit or loss arises from full maintenance motor contracts, this is recognised on termination of individual contracts after taking cognisance of any additional costs required. Provision is made for known losses during the contract period on an individual contract basis.

Insurance premiums are stated before deducting reinsurance and commission. Gross premiums are accounted for when they become due.

Finance income comprises interest receivable on funds invested.

Interest is recognised on an accrual basis, taking account of the principal outstanding and the effective rate over the period to maturity, when it is determined that such income will accrue to the Group.

Dividends are recognised when the right to receive payment is established.

6.

Non-current assets held-for-sale and discontinued operations

Non-current assets (or disposal groups comprising assets and liabilities) that are expected to be recovered primarily through sale rather than through continuing use are classified as held-for-sale and are carried at the lower of carrying value and fair value less cost to sell. Immediately before classification as assets held-for-sale, the measurement of the assets (and all assets and liabilities in a disposal group) is determined in accordance with applicable IFRS. Then, on initial classification as assets held-for-sale, non-current assets and disposal groups are recognised at the lower of the carrying amounts and fair value less costs to sell. Any impairment loss on a disposal group is first allocated to goodwill, and then to remaining assets and liabilities on a pro rata basis, except that no loss is allocated to inventories, financial assets, deferred tax assets, and employee benefit assets, which continue to be measured in accordance with the Group’s accounting policies. Impairment losses on initial classification as held-for-sale and subsequent gains or losses on remeasurement are recognised in the income statement. Gains are not recognised in excess of any cumulative impairment loss.

A discontinued operation results from the sale or abandonment of an operation that represents a separate major line of business or geographical area of operations and of which the assets, net profit or loss and activities can be distinguished physically, operationally and for financial reporting purposes. A subsidiary acquired exclusively with the view to resale is also classified as a discontinued operation. Classification as a discontinued operation occurs upon disposal or when the operation meets the criteria to be classified as held-for-sale, if earlier. When an operation is classified as a discontinued operation, the comparative income statement is restated as if the operation had been discontinued from the start of the comparative period.

7.

Dividends to shareholders

Dividends to shareholders are accounted for once they have been approved by the board of directors.

8.

Finance income and charges

Finance charges comprise interest payable on borrowings calculated using the effective interest rate method. The interest expense component of finance lease payments is recognised in the income statement using the effective interest rate method.

9.

Capitalisation of expenditure/borrowing costs

Borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of assets that necessarily take a substantial period of time to prepare for their intended use or sale, are added to the cost of those assets, until such time as the assets are substantially complete. Capitalisation is suspended during extended periods in which active development is interrupted. All other borrowing costs are expensed in the period in which they are incurred.

10.

Cash and cash equivalents

For the purpose of the statement of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand, deposits held on call with banks net of bank overdrafts and investment in money market instruments, all of which are available for use by the Group unless otherwise stated.

11.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are reflected at cost to the Group, less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Land is stated at cost. The present value of the estimated cost of dismantling and removing items and restoring the site in which they are located is provided for as part of the cost of the asset. Depreciation is provided for on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the property, plant and equipment which are as follows:

Residual values, depreciation method and useful lives are reassessed annually.

Where parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have different useful lives, they are accounted for as separate items of property, plant and equipment.

The Group recognises in the carrying amount of an item of property, plant and equipment the cost of replacing part of such an item when that cost is incurred if it is probable that the future economic benefits embodied in the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. All other costs are recognised in the income statement as an expense when incurred.

12.

Leases

Leases that transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the underlying asset to the Group are classified as finance leases. Assets acquired in terms of finance leases are capitalised at the lower of fair value and the present value of the minimum lease payments at inception of the lease, and depreciated over the estimated useful life of the asset. The capital element of future obligations under the leases is included as a liability in the balance sheet. Lease payments are allocated using the effective interest rate method to determine the lease finance cost, which is charged against income over the lease period, and the capital repayment, which reduces the liability to the lessor.

Leases where the lessor retains the risks and rewards of ownership of the underlying asset are classified as operating leases. Operating leases, which have a fixed determinable escalation, are charged against income on a straight-line basis. Leases with contingent escalations are expensed as and when incurred.

13.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents amounts arising on acquisition of subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures. All business combinations are accounted for by applying the purchase method. Goodwill represents the difference between the cost of the acquisition and the fair value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired.

Goodwill is stated at deemed cost or cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is allocated to cash-generating units and is tested annually for impairment. In respect of associates, the carrying amount of goodwill is included in the carrying amount of the investment in the associate.

Negative goodwill arising on an acquisition is recognised immediately in the income statement.

14.

Intangible assets

Software development costs are capitalised and are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Other intangible assets that are acquired by the Group are stated at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Expenditure on research, internally generated goodwill and brands is recognised in the income statement as an expense as incurred.

Subsequent expenditure on capitalised intangible assets is capitalised only when it increases the future economic benefits embodied in the specific asset to which it relates. All other expenditure is expensed as incurred.

Amortisation is charged to the income statement on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of intangible assets unless such lives are indefinite. Intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are systematically tested for impairment at each statement of financial position date. Other intangible assets are amortised from the date they are available for use. The estimated useful lives are currently:

Useful lives are also examined on an annual basis and adjustments, where applicable, are made on a prospective basis.

15.

Impairment of assets

The carrying value of assets is reviewed annually to assess whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated. Where the carrying value exceeds the estimated recoverable amount, such assets are written down to their recoverable amount.

The recoverable amount of cash-generating units to which goodwill is allocated is estimated annually on March 31 each year. For assets that have an indefinite useful life and intangible assets that are not yet available for use, the recoverable amount is estimated at each statement of financial position date.

Impairment losses are recognised whenever the carrying amount of the asset or a cash-generating unit exceeds its recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognised in the income statement.

Impairment losses recognised in respect of cash-generating units are allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to cash-generating units and then to reduce the carrying amount of the other assets in the unit on a pro rata basis.

A cash-generating unit is the smallest identifiable asset group that generates cash flows that largely are independent from other assets and groups.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows of the investment have been impacted.

An impairment loss in respect of an available-for-sale financial asset is calculated by reference to its current fair value. For unlisted shares classified as available-for-sale, a significant or prolonged decline in the fair value of the security below its cost is considered to be objective evidence of impairment.

For all other financial assets, objective evidence of impairment could include:
– significant financial difficulty of the counterparty; or
– default in interest or principal payments; or
– it becoming probable that the counterparty will enter bankruptcy or financial re-organisation

When a decline in the fair value of an available-for-sale financial asset has been recognised directly in equity and there is objective evidence that the asset is impaired, the cumulative loss that had been recognised directly in equity is recognised in the income statement even though the financial asset has not been derecognised. The amount of the cumulative loss that is recognised in the income statement is the difference between the acquisition cost and current fair value, less any impairment loss on that financial asset previously recognised in the income statement.

The recoverable amount of the Group’s investments in held-to-maturity securities and receivables carried at amortised cost is calculated as the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at the original effective interest rate (the effective interest rate is computed on initial recognition of these financial assets). Receivables with a short duration are not discounted. Individually significant financial assets are tested for impairment on an individual basis. The remaining financial assets are assessed collectively in groups that share similar credit risk characteristics.

In respect of trade receivables, receivables that are assessed not to be impaired individually are subsequently assessed for impairment on a collective basis. Objective evidence of impairment for a portfolio of receivables could include the Group’s past experience of collecting payments, an increase in the number of delayed payments in the portfolio past the average credit period, as well as observable changes in national or local economic conditions that correlate with default on receivables.

The recoverable amount of other assets is the greater of their fair value less costs to sell and their value in use. In assessing their value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset.

An impairment loss in respect of a held-to-maturity security or receivable carried at amortised cost is reversed if the subsequent increase in recoverable amount can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognised.

An impairment loss in respect of an investment in an equity instrument classified as available-for-sale is not reversed through the income statement. If the fair value of a debt instrument classified as available-for-sale increases and the increase can be objectively related to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognised in the income statement, the impairment loss is reversed, with the amount of the reversal recognised in the income statement.

The carrying amount of the financial asset is reduced by the impairment loss directly for all financial assets with the exception of trade receivables and banking advances, where the carrying amount is reduced through the use of an impairment allowance account. When a trade receivable or banking advance is considered uncollectible, it is written off against the impairment allowance account. Subsequent recoveries of amounts previously written off are credited against the allowance account. Changes in the carrying amount of the impairment allowance account are recognised in the income statement.

Impairment losses in respect of goodwill are not reversed.

In respect of other assets, impairment losses recognised in prior periods are assessed at each reporting date for any indications that the loss has decreased or no longer exists. Impairment losses are reversed if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount.

Impairment losses are reversed only to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or amortisation, if no impairment loss had been recognised.